Postmortem Imaging Findings
| Case Type | Loss of G–W Differentiation | Effaced Ventricles/Cisterns | Expected PM Blood Distribution | PM Intracranial Air | Lumpy Falx |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trauma | Visible BG 22/24 | Yes 15/24 | Yes 19/24 | 12/24 | 12/24 |
| Loss of G–W 7/24 | Normal 8/24 | SAH 4/24 | |||
| Dilated 1/24 | |||||
| Natural cause of death | Visible BG 8/9 | Yes 4/9 | Yes 8/9 | 2/9 | 8/9 |
| Loss of G–W 7/9 | Normal 5/9 |
Note:—Loss of G–W differentiation evaluated by whether BG visible and whether remaining G–W visible. Expected PM blood distribution = dense circle of Willis, cavernous sinus, tentorium, transverse sinus, sagittal sinus. PM Intracranial Air = air in the arteries, veins, or diploic spaces. Lumpy Falx = nodular appearance to falx seen in PM imaging. BG indicates basal ganglia; G–W, gray–white; PM, postmortem.